Hungry? Why Wait?

Hungry? Why wait? That was the theme of one of the dorm halls i lived on my sophomore year of college. At first I thought that the theme was kind of stupid. They took it from a candy bar and I could of cared less about a stupid hall theme. OK, so let's fast forward about two and half years to about last week.


Have you ever had bad cravings for food before? Like you start to think about something yummy like Coldstone ice cream or maybe a tasty sandwich from Burger King. I don't know about you but I get food cravings all the time. It isn't just wanting something sweet or salty, it is wanting something specific. Also I have noticed a common trend in my food cravings. I tend to crave food the most either when I have just filled my house with tons of food, or when I have no food left in my fridge or pantry. So this last week i have been craving ice cream, Burger King, and Domino's pizza. I probably wouldn't want that food so much if I actually had food in my house but I haven't had time or even a ride to go buy food for a few weeks now. That's probably the reason for why I have ordered from Domino's twice in the last week.



Not only do I get food craving, but I get cravings for water too! Have you ever been outside all day working hard or even just playing hard and you get so thirsty that your mouth actually feels dry? Man, when I get that thirsty i am able to drink all the water in the water fountain. (Obviously you can't do that but I think you get what I am saying.) Right now i am also trying to reduce the amounts of caffeine I have been drinking. I don't think I have ever though about going and buying a coffee beverage more than now! It seems like when I either have a lot of something available to me or none at all, I want it the most.



When I am hungry or thirsty and I have all that I want right there in large amounts it is so easy to take care of my cravings; but it is so much harder when I am craving something that I can't have. Why am I talking about this you may be asking? Well, it is because just like we have cravings for food and drink, we have cravings for God. Sometimes we don't say we are craving God but we are craving things that only God can truly fulfill.

All throughout the Psalms you read about David asking where God is and wanting God and even crying out to God. It makes me think of all the times I have craved God. My cravings tend to come pretty easily after I just had a large filling of His presence in my life. Do you know what I am talking about? It is those times when you have just come home from camp or a conference or even a really powerful worship service. Maybe you had an amazing quiet time or you read a book that just made you feel so close to God and you continued longing for that.But there are other times when I crave God. When I feel empty I tend to crave Him a lot. What happens though is that I don't recognize it as a craving for God. Normally it comes in a craving for love, or maybe a longing to be needed or desired. Have you ever wished that some one would care? Ever craved wanting some one to talk to? I have realized that when I get this way, it is normally because I have had a short supply of God in my life. Although I think I am craving something else, what I am really craving is God, His love, His care, and His attention.

A craving is normally an emotion that makes you long for something. I know that many people say you can't base things on feelings. Feelings should not dictate your life but feelings can help direct it. Sometimes when you feel things, it is your bodies way of saying you have a need. Cravings can be a feeling but if you look, even in the dictionary it says that cravings can also be needs. God gave us our feelings for a reason and He can use the to help direct us to Him

When I have no food in my house, i crave it but I can't get it. It is so much harder for me to find a way to get that food because I can't drive and I'm a college student. Some times I simply do not have the money. But if I really want that desired food enough, I will find a way. The question is, when you are desiring that love, acceptance, listening ear, friendship, etc. are you going to find a way to God? If you are Hungry for God, why are you waiting?

Draw near to God (first), and He will draw near to you. James 4:8

Pushed In a Corner

So this is a facebook note I wrote October 4th in 2007. I just read over it and I thought you may enjoy it. Let me know!

So this is some food for thought here. I'm up and it is like 3 in the morning right? I don't feel good for various reasons and i can't sleep cause I drank too much caffeine earlier at the movies. It's fall break and the campus is empty! I mean EMPTY! It's so strange being here for fall break with barely anyone around. But anyways...these last couple weeks I have really been feeling as if I am pushed into a corner and that everyone keeps walking by forgetting about me. Let me explain. No one seems to have time for me right? (by the way, this is not a note looking for pity or blaming people or saying whoa is me. Just keep reading and i think you may enjoy this) I really just want some friends and I keep talking to my friends but they are "busy"and they tell me oh i am so sorry i am busy right now but ill talk to you soon OK? I promise soon I will talk to you! I keep getting this over and over again. Even from my parents. They are both in new relationships and no one seems to have the time for me anymore, and if they do its like the let me squeeze you in cause i feel like i need to time. I feel like i have been shoved in a corner or a closet and am waving my arms and yelling HEY OVER HERE but no one sees me, or they do and say hold on ill be there shortly! Have you ever had that semi depressed feeling where you just want some one to care about you; someone who just wants to be around you cause they just enjoy being around you? No other real motivation? Have you ever just wanted some one to love you and care for you (i don't mean dating wise, i mean just friend wise) but the thing is you can't make some one care. You can't make some one love you; and slowly you watch relationships slip away and there is not much you can do but just wave your arms and say hey remember me over here? So i was down and thinking to myself, well this stinks and then I realized something! This is probably how God feels!!!! You grow close to Him but then you start to get busy and you say to Him i promise i will talk with you soon or ill spend time with you soon and you do kinda. You give him that squeeze in your schedule time and He wants you to love Him and care for Him like He does you but He isn't going to make you or else it wouldn't be real. He is waving His arms and yelling HEY I'M OVER HERE but you get to busy and slowly shove Him in the corner of the closet and your relationship with Him slowly fades away! The most important relationship in our lives is the one we have with Him so why are we shoving Him in the corner? I AM SO GUILTY of this! School has been so busy and Ive had so much to do and I find time to squeeze in my schedule but i am finding the relationship and fire I had for Him this summer is slowly heading back to a luke warm flame again. How dare i be upset that my friends don't have time for me and that I am all alone on an empty campus!! How dare I because God is giving me the opportunity to run to that corner and sit in His arms and share it with Him. He loves me more than any of you ever could and He is waving His arms at me and I've just been to busy. I'm glad i have this free time to spend with Him, my only question is, is He in the corner waving His arms at YOU??

Take My Life (A Prayer)

Have you ever taken some time out of your day to think about the words you say in the worship songs you sing? I love spending time listening to the lyrics and really dwelling on what they mean. If I'm not leading in worship I also love turning those songs into personal prayers during the service. The song Take My Life is a song that we sang at Global Youth Camps last year and I remember this week last year (on June 18th Wednesday night to be exact) we were at Eagle Eerie in Lynchburg VA for camp. After we had finished leading the music for the evening service I decided to slip outside for a little bit to spend some time in prayer. It was this very song that I dwelt on and turned into a prayer this time last year.

Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
(God, please take my life and help me to always surrender it completely to You. Please be in charge of my life and my decisions.)
Take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
(Take even the smallest parts of my day, and every single one of my days, and help me to use them as a way to bring your glory and honor and praise. May I always glorify you in everything that I do and may I never grow tired of praising You.)
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love.
(Help me to reach out in love to people and show them You love.)
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.
(Direct my steps in the directions you wish them to go. Here am I Lord please send me out to where you want me.)
Take my voice and let me sing
always, only for my King.
(God, I pray that I will only use my voice for You. Help me never to sing to bring attention to myself but only to glorify and honor you. You are my audience of One. May I never forget that.)
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from Thee.
(God, please use me as a mouthpiece for what You want to be said. May the words from my mouth be pleasing to You and be from You.)
Take my silver and my gold
not a mite would I withhold.
(Help me to remember that my physical blessings are from You and belong to You. Help me to use them in a way that best glorifies and honors you. Show me how You want me to use them. May I never keep them for myself.)
Take my intellect and use
every power as You choose.
(As I study and learn more, God I pray that it would help your purpose for this world. Help me to grow wise in Your ways and use my intelligence for You and not myself.)
Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for Thee.
(God I surrender to You all of my life. May you take control of everything that I am. Help me to not hold on to anything of myself. Help me to see areas that I may not be surrendering to You so that I may lay them at Your feet.)
Take my will and make it Thine
it shall be no longer mine.
(May Your will be done in my life, not my own. I know that You know best God so please help me to live out what You want for my life.)
Take my heart it is Thine own
it shall be Thy royal throne.
(God, my heart belongs to You. Help me to guard it so that it will always be Your first and foremost.)
Take my love, my Lord I pour
at Your feet its treasure store
(Help me to fall more and more in love with You everyday. May I have a life that is always in love with You.)
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
(You are what I am all about. May You always be my heart's focus and desire! Be my everything and help me to always keep you as my everything in my life!)
Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for Thee.
(My heart my mind, my strength, my soul, God everything that I am including my thoughts, my time, my hands, feet, voice, lips, possessions, intellect, will, heart, love and everything else that makes up me; may it always be about You. God Here I am, make me and mold me into what You want me to be. My life is Yours. Do with it what You want.)

I hope that you will take some time aside to turn songs and even scripture into prayers yourself.

Psalm 144

1 Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;
Ever felt like you were in some type of battle? Maybe a battle to keep your family together or a personal battle to stay focused. There are many types of battles that everyone will face in their lifetime. Whether we are going to be in a physical battle, emotional battle, or spiritual battle, we need to realize that the foundation in which we stand on should be God. What this means is that we need to trust God and focus on Him throughout the battle. We must continue to seek His face. It is easy to say that we will make God our Rock but I don't think a lot of us take the time to really understand what that even means.

2 he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.
Steadfast love is an amazing thing to think about. Steadfast means fixed in place. God's love for us is fixed in place meaning it isn't going anywhere. God will always love us! Isn't that a great thing to think about? God will always be there for us. It is so easy for me to find myself upset about the fact that I feel like no one is there for me. I always wish that some one would care; that some one would always love me. God is that person who will always be there for me and always care. What a great thing to think about!

3 O LORD, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him?
4 Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.
Its amazing that God loves us so much. He knows the number of hairs on our heads. He knows our every though and listens to our prayers. He ALWAYS is there for us and loves us so much! It amazes me because life is so short. Did you know that there is about 6.8 billion people in the world right now? God cares about each and every one of them! On top of that, God has cared about all of the people that lived before us and He will care about all the people who live after us! When you think about all those people, it is overwhelming to think about the fact that God still has time and even the desire to care about you.

5 Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down! Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
6 Flash forth the lightning and scatter them; send out your arrows and rout them!
These verses remind me of watching a severe thunderstorm. I don't know about you but one of my favorite things to do is go sit on my front step and watch thunderstorms go by. If you think about it, most outdoor things shut down during a thunderstorm. Most people go inside of a building or a car. I love how the outside goes quiet and still. I mean obviously there is the noise of thunder and the wind blowing in the trees and possibly even the sound of a heavy rain or even hail. But think about it, the people and the man-made noises tend to be silenced. To me, watching a thunderstorm reminds me of God's power. This is why I love snow too! When it snows a few inches here in VA the entire state seems to shut down. I love how God can get this busy world to slow down by simply using the weather. We fill our lives with so many things that we tend to forget the most important thing; God! This is why I personally love stormy weather! it's a natural reminder of the One in control.

7 Stretch out your hand from on high; rescue me and deliver me from the many waters, from the hand of foreigners,

8 whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
We should always be on guard of the lies that are fed to us. We need to continually seek God's face and pray that He will help us to know the lies that are being fed to us. It is so easy for others to pull us down.

9 I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
10 who gives victory to kings, who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
I know that you have heard this and probably known this for awhile but when was the last time you really though about this. The God we sing to is the same God David sang to! We read about these characters in the Bible but how often do we think of them as real people? People thousands of years ago used to make music to the same God that we make music to. Isn't that exciting?! We sing songs to the same God the angels sing to!

11 Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace;
Plants full grown and corner pillars of a palace? For a little bit I had to think about what these words meant. I finally realized what full grown plants and corner pillars have in common; they are both strong. Full grown plants have deep roots and corner pillars are sturdy and strong. As a youth worker this is my desire for the students in our youth ministry. I hope and pray that they will become strong in their faith with God.

13 may our granaries be full, providing all kinds of produce; may our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;

14 may our cattle be heavy with young, suffering no mishap or failure in bearing; may there be no cry of distress in our streets!
How often do you find yourself complaining about the things you need? How often do you tell people that money is tight this month or that your fridge is empty? Now compare that to how often you pray for God's provision. Now also compare that with how many times you take aside time to seek His face. Shouldn't we be spending more time seeking God's face than asking for things from Him? And shouldn't we be spending more times asking God to provide instead of complaining about the lack of provision?

15 Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!
Blessed are those who choose to make God the Lord of their life. These are the people who have the heart attitude of surrender to God. They truly desire for God to direct them and have control of their life. To me this song represents what they are all about when they choose to make God Lord of their lives.

Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice and let me sing
always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as You choose.
Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for Thee.
Take my will and make it Thine
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is Thine own
it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord I pour
at Your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for Thee.

-Take My Life

Psalm 145

1 I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.
4 One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.
5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.
7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you.
11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,
12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.
14 The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

Is this the attitude you have towards God? this is the attitude of a person who has a BIG picture of God. I think a lot of times we put limitations on God and expect Him to only do small things. I hope, wish, and pray that this would be the attitude the students here in LP would have towards god. i hope that when the students leave this ministry and move on in their life they can say that they have seen God do big and great things.

Psalm 62/Exodus 4 (For those working in ministry)

Ever felt discouraged and defeated come Monday morning? It's always hard when you plan and you pour into your ministry hoping for results, but those results seem to never come. I've had a good leader and friend once tell me, "It's as if we are hitting a large bolder with a rubber toy hammer." Have you ever felt that way before? Do you feel like God is asking you to slay ten Goliaths with only three stones? I know I have!

In Exodus 4 God is telling Moses what He wants Moses to do. Basically God is letting Moses know what His will for Moses life is. I really love this one section for the chapter that says,

10 Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."
11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ?
12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."
13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."
14 Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you.
15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.

I remember reading this my freshman year of high school and realizing that I could never use my vision as an excuse for not being able to do what God calls me to do. I mean c'mon, don't you think if anyone knows what we are capable of doing, wouldn't it be God? I also remember about two years ago I was doing a study on personality traits and on spiritual gifts. Mine seem to make no sense and aren't supposed to happen. I guess I am a strange combination of things. It really was upsetting me for awhile because I felt so confused as to why I was the way I was. How could I ever do what God wanted me to do with the type of personality traits and spiritual gifts I have? I feel like one of the things God wants me to do is help the hurting and I had some one bluntly tell me that there is no way they would ever come to me with their problems and that my personality isn't the type that can help hurting people. Then one day I realized that God knows who I am and He knows what He wants me to do and He will help me! He will provide people to come along the way and help as well. God doesn't just call individuals to do a task, he calls together a team of people that He knows far better than any of us. We just need to stay faithful and not give up. Our trust must be placed in Him no matter how frustrating things can get at times. God doesn't call the equip ed, He equips the called! One day I believe that rubber toy hammer will be able to break that giant boulder just like that one little stone and sling was able to bring down a giant warrior!

1 My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
3 How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down— this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
4 They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. Selah
5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah
9 Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.
10 Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
11 One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong,
12 and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.

A Different Kind of Vision (Psalm 146 cont./John 20:24-31)

So for those of you who do not know me, let me first start out by telling you that I have some serious vision problems. One of those problems that get people talking the most is the fact that I am completely color blind. I have NEVER seen a color in my life! All I see is black, white, and gray. It is like watching life through a black and white movie.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard people say the reason they do not believe in God is because they can not see Him. They believe that people have been fooled into believing in an imaginary God. They believe this for the simple fact that He can not be seen. I have heard people try and explain how this isn't true with many different arguments including the one where you can't see the wind but you can see its effects. Many Christians will say that just as you can see the effects of wind in the trees, you can see the effects of God in people's lives. Most non-believers claim that those people are just fooled. Well, I'd like to ask them to prove to me that color exists. Is it possible that the entire world is trying to fool me into believe that color exists when in all reality it was just made up to make them feel better and have fun? Of course not!

John 20:24-31
24Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.
25So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."
26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"
27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
28Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
29Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
30Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.
31But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

I know so many people who have also told me how sad it makes them to know that I have never seen a color. I mean, I can't even imagine what a color looks like. But just as it breaks their hearts that I have never seen a color, it breaks my heart to know that they will never see God. Just as I can not imagine a color, and have no idea what I am missing, there are people who have no idea of the type of relationship they could have with a loving God. At least I know that one day I will get to see colors in heaven. There are people who will spend an eternity without knowing God and to me that should break every one's heart more than not seeing color!

In Psalm 146:8 it talks about how god gives sight to the blind. I feel like God has certainly given me sight' a different kind of vision. I have a vision to see the lost hurting people come to have a relationship with a loving, forgiving, and holy God.

Psalm 146

1 Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. Praising God from our soul means to praise Him from the very inner-most part of ourselves.
2 I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. This verse talks about praising God ALL of our lives, not just when things are going well. Every day we need to make it our goal to continuously praise God.
3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. It is not our friends and family who will ALWAYS be there for us; it is God! God knows all and sees all and it is in Him that we should place our trust.
4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. People will pass away but God will never die. His plans will happen because He knows all.
5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,
Our help and hope should come from God.
6 the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— the LORD, who remains faithful forever. God will always be faithful.
7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, God provieds and protects His children.
8 the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. God will change the way you see and think. God will raise up the humbled and bring down the proud.
9 The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. God watches over and take care of those who have no one to take care of them. He is our true Father.
10 The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD. The Lord will always reign!

Psalm 150

1 Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

The word praise is used 13 times in this section of scripture alone. I know that whenever a word is used repetitively it means that it's important. It is important to praise our Lord. I love all the instruments in this psalm. I even love the word dancing used! I know in a baptist church the word dancing does not go over well but there are forms of dancing that i believe can be used to praise the Lord. When reading this passage one of my favorite songs came to mind. I hope you enjoy these lyrics and I hope you will check out this song.

Hallelujah from the heavens
Hallelujah in the heights above the earth
Hallelujah all His angels
Hallelujah for the last will be first
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
Hallelujah in the morning
Hallelujah for the beauty of His scars
Hallelujah in the twilight
Hallelujah sun and moon and shining stars
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
When the night seems so long (throw your hands to the sky)
You can sing a new song (wipe the tears from your eyes)
When you're weak, He is strong
He can heal your wounded soul
And calm the storm inside
For all your times of laughter
In every hopeful prayer
When the world weighs on your shoulders
Through sorrow and your despair
With everything, with every breath, praise the Lord
Let everything, let every breath praise the Lord
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
Let everything, let every breath praise the Lord
When the night seems so long (throw your hands to the sky)
You can sing a new song (wipe the tears from your eyes)
When you're weak, He is strong
He can heal your wounded soul
And calm the storm inside
-With Every Breath by Sixpence None The Richer

Psalm 149

1 Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.
2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.
4 For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.
5 Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.
6 May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands,
7 to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron,
9 to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Praise the LORD.


The theme in this psalm can easily be summarized in one word; praise. I thought it would be interesting to do a word study on the word praise. One of the definitions I found for the word praise was "to express approval or admiration of." Then I decided to look up the word admiration and I found this:

"1. a feeling of wonder, pleasure, or approval.
2. the act of looking on
or contemplating with pleasure: admiration of fine paintings.
3. an object of wonder, pleasure, or approval: The dancer was the admiration of
everyone.
4 Archaic. wonder; astonishment."

What does it mean to stand in astonishment of God? Here is what I found:

"1. overpowering wonder or surprise; amazement: He looked with astonishment at his friends.
2. an object or cause of amazement."

Then I decided to look up the word amazement and it said "overwhelming surprise or astonishment."


I realized a common theme in the definitions and that was that it was a strong feeling of wonder. When looking up the synonyms for the word wonder I found the following:

"conjecture, meditate, ponder, question. marvel. surprise, astonishment, amazement, bewilderment, awe."



I know that was a lot of definitions but I know I have heard the word praise so many times that i rarely take the chance to even think about what that means anymore. We need to all take more time out of our day to praise God for the things He has done.

I love how this psalm starts out with singing a new song to the Lord! Find a new song to refresh your heart's focus on the Lord today.